5 v. in 6 : 32 cm (fol.)

The first printed Greek language edition of Aristotle's collected works, with the exclusion of the Poetica and Rhetorica. Includes works of Galen, Philo of Alexandria, Theophrastus, and Alexander of Aphrodisias, among others. Edited by Aldus Manutius with the assistance of Alexander Bondinus (Agathermeros), Scipio Forteguerri, and Franciscus Caballus

In Greek, with preliminaries in Latin

Title devised by cataloger; imprint derived from colophons

In five volumes, dated: volume 1) 1 Nov. 1495; volume 2) Feb. 1497; volume 3) 29 Jan. 1497; volume 4) 1 June 1497; volume 5) June 1498. Each volume has separate title page with list of contents

For signatures, consult Catalogue of books printed in the fifteenth century now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford (Bod-inc), entry A-384. BPL copy differs from Bod-inc in that first two leaves of volume 4 are part of an unsigned gathering of two, in which the second leaf is blank

Volume 1: [234] leaves; volume 2: [32], 268 leaves; volume 3: 400, [1], 401-410, [1], 411-457, [9] leaves; volume 4: 1, [1], 226; 116, 12, 42, 121, [1] leaves; volume 5: 209, 19 (i.e., 13), 210-316, [1] leaves. Errors in foliation throughout

Super-chancery folio; 30 lines plus headline (lacking in volume 1); woodcut initials and head-pieces

In some copies, volume 3 has cancel slip with a line of text and a catchword pasted beneath line 30 on leaf 100 verso

Volume 1: Porphyrii Introductio siue universalia. Aristotelis Praedicamenta. Peri herminias i[n] De interpraetatione. Priora resolutoria. Posteriora resolutoria. Topica. Elenchi

Volume 2: Aristotelis uita ex Laertio. Eiusdem uita per Ioannem Philoponum. Theophrasti uita ex Laertio. Galeni De philosopho[rum] historia. Aristotelis De physico auditu. De coelo. De generatione & corruptione. Meteorologicorum quatuor. De mundo ad Alexandrum. Philonis Iudaei De mundo. Theophrasti De igne. Eiusdem De ventis. De signis aquarum & uentorum incerti auctoris. Theophrasti De lapidibus

Volume 3: [Aristotelis De historia animalium, and 18 other works. Theophrasti De piscibus, and 4 other works]

Volume 4: Theophrasti De historia plantarum. Eiusdem De causis plantarum. Aristotelis Problematum sectiones. Alexandri Aphrodisiensis Problematum libri. Aristotelis Mechanicorum liber. Eiusdem Metaphysicorum libri. Theophrasti Metaphysicorum liber

Volume 5: Aristotelis Ethicorum ad Nicomachum libri. Politicorum libri. Oeconomicorum libri. Magnorum moralium libri. Moralium ad Eudemum libri

COPY NOTE: Boston Public Library (Rare Books Department) copy Q.403.89 FOLIO with volume 4 split into two parts after leaf 266; second part labeled on spine as volume 5; volume 5 labeled on spine as volume 6. All integral blanks present, including the second leaf in volume 4, but excluding the cancelled blank conjugate to the single-sided leaf inserted into volume 3 after leaf 400. Some errors in foliation and signing corrected in an early hand. Leaf 100 verso of volume 3 with printed cancel slip supplying final line and catchword. In volume 3, the 8 unnumbered leaves containing Historiae animalium liber decimus, signed with a tilted cross, are inserted between leaves 145 and 146. Otherwise collates as Bod-inc A-384, with the exception of the blank leaf at the front of volume 4. Leaf dimensions: 309 x 210 mm.

PROVENANCE: Boston Public Library (Rare Books Department) copy Q.403.89 FOLIO with leather book label of Henry Huth on all front pastedowns. Purchased from Quaritch in 1940, with pencil collation note on lower pastedown of volume 1.

BINDING: Boston Public Library (Rare Books Department) copy Q.403.89 FOLIO bound by Francis Bedford in brown goatskin paneled and tooled in blind and gilt. Spines paneled and tooled in gilt. All edges gilt.

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